State Aid

STATE AID

Drops, Withdrawals, and State Aid Eligibility

New York State requires TAP recipients to enroll in and complete at least 12 credits in a semester; therefore, dropping to fewer than 12 credits will make the student ineligible for TAP in that semester. Eligibility for TAP in a subsequent semester is also contingent on the completion of at least 12 credits in the prior semester for which the student received TAP.

• If a student drops to fewer than 12 eligible credits within the first 7 days of the term, and are not eligible for Part Time TAP, they are no longer eligible for the TAP grant. For students eligible for PTAP, dropping to fewer than 6 eligible credits within the first 7 days of the term will make them ineligible for PTAP. 
• If a student drops to fewer than 12 eligible credits between the 2nd and 3rd week of the term, earning WD grade, (or for those eligible for PTAP, dropping to fewer than 6 eligible credits), there are potentially two choices the student can take regarding an award which will have to be communicated to the Financial Aid office.
  • Option 1:
    You may choose to keep the award for the current semester. Doing so may result in you being ineligible for TAP in future semesters due to you not completing the required credits needed in this term. Additionally, WD grades result in a tuition recalculation lowering your total tuition liability. Your TAP award will be reduced accordingly.  Please keep in mind that you use TAP points for each semester in which you receive TAP, regardless of whether you complete all courses. You will no longer receive TAP once you have used 48 points.
  • Option 2: 
    You can choose to decline your TAP award for this semester. This will ensure that you do not use any TAP points and retain TAP eligibility for future semesters. However, you would be responsible for the remaining tuition liability on your account once your TAP award is removed.

If a student withdraws (W grade) from one or all of their courses, they will be eligible to keep the TAP grant for that term, however, they may not be eligible to receive TAP in subsequent semesters as they would not have met the progress and pursuit requirements set forth by the state. Students must complete a certain percentage of attempted credits each semester, determined by the number of points/payments of TAP they have accrued to maintain eligibility, as detailed here.

If dropping or withdrawing a course, please email Financial Aid with any questions regarding the impact of the TAP grant.